Cross Country Newshttp://willamette.edu/rss/athletics/news/cross_country.xmlThe latest in Bearcat Cross Country NewsCascade Serverwebmaster@willamette.eduSix Athletes on WU Women's Cross Country Team Earn All-Academic Honorshttp://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2015/02/18_CC_All-Academic_Athletes.phpSALEM, ORE. -- Six members of the Willamette University women's cross country team have received All-Academic recognition from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the 2014 season. All six runners competed for the Bearcats at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.

Overall, 325 student-athletes from Division III were chosen for the Women’s All-Academic Team. Each All-Academic competitor was honored for achieving a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher, while finishing in the top 25% at an NCAA Regional cross country meet.

Freeby also received All-Academic honors in 2012 and 2013. Mancl and Ostrander were All-Academic selections in 2013.

Bressler and Ostrander are majoring in Exercise Science, while Freeby and Mancl are Biology majors. Farnan is majoring in Psychology, and Reese has not yet declared a major.

The Bearcats finished in 15th place in the women's team standings at the NCAA Championships in Mason, Ohio. Mancl led the way by placing 48th out of 280 runners. Ostrander placed 64th. Bressler finished in 132nd, with Farnan in 152nd and Freeby in 169th.

Freeby, who spent the cross country season recovering from an injury sustained during the the 2014 track and field season, still managed to earn second place at the 2014 NCAA West Regional, hosted by WU at Bush's Pasture Park. She led a 2-3-5-9-12 finish for the Bearcats.

Also at the West Region, Mancl took third place and Ostrander was fifth. Farnan attained ninth place, while Bressler was 12th and Reese placed 24th. All six runners received All-West Region honors while leading the Bearcats to the team title.

Ostrander won the women's individual title in 22:25.2 and helped WU claim the team title at the 2014 NWC Championships. The Bearcats achieved a nearly-perfect 1-2-3-4-6 finish. Mancl took second place, but matched Ostrander's time at 22:25.2. Freeby was third in 22:25.3. Farnan placed fourth, Bressler was sixth and Reese was 17th.

The NWC Championships were hosted by the Bearcats at Bush's Pasture Park. It was Willamette's 10th NWC Championship in women's cross country. Ostander, Mancl, Freeby, Farnan and Bressler each earned First Team All-Northwest Conference honors.

The USTFCCCA also announced the Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award winners, which went to the women's athlete and the men's athlete and who placed highest at the 2014 NCAA Championships and also qualified for All-Academic status.

Amy Regan, a junior at Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) with a 4.00 cumulative GPA was named the Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Regan, who is majoring in Engineering Management, won the NCAA women's individual national cross country title.

Grant Wintheiser, a senior from St. Olaf University (Minn.), who owns a with a 3.98 cumulative GPA, was named the Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Wintheiser is majoring in Biology. He won the NCAA men's individual national cross country title.

]]>Wed, 18 Feb 2015 12:00:00 -0800http://willamette.edu/99b2e9b89e68649334ff584eac2832ad Willamette Cross Country Teams Earn All-Academic Honors from USTFCCCAhttp://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2015/02/18_CC_All_Academic_Teams.phpSALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's and women's cross country teams have received national recognition for their academic success form the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as both squads have earned All-Academic status for the 2014 season.

A total of 211 women’s cross country teams and 152 men's cross country teams in NCAA Division III were selected for the All-Academic award. Each squad had to earn at least a 3.1 cumulative team grade point average and have at least five runners compete at five meets in order to achieve All-Academic status.

The Bearcat women's team attained a 3.45 cumulative team GPA. Athletes running on the Willamette men's team registered a 3.26 cumulative team GPA.

Scholar Team of the Year honors went to the Johns Hopkins University (Md.) women's team and to the North Central College (Ill.) men's team. Each year, the award goes to the teams earning All-Academic status that place highest at the NCAA Championships.

The Johns Hopkins women's team won the NCAA title and earned a 3.31 GPA. North Central's men took first place at the NCAA Championships and recorded a 3.24 GPA.

Among Division III conferences, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) led the way with 12 women's teams selected. All nine Northwest Conference women's teams earned All-Academic status, placing the NWC in a four-way tie for second.

Eight NWC men's teams also achieved All-Academic status, as the conference earned part of a two-way tie for second. The MIAC had nine men's team with All-Academic status.

Willamette's men won the 2012 NWC Championship in convincing fashion, with five runners finishing in the top 14. Willamette's women placed second at the NWC Championships for the second year in a row. The Bearcat women earned third placed at the NCAA West Region Championships, and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships.

At the West Regional, the WU women achieved first place with a score of 31. Freeby was second, with Ostrander in third place and Mancl in fifth. The Bearcats earned 15th place at the NCAA Championships. Mancl was Willamette's top finisher in 48th place.

Willamette's men also took first place at the NWC Championships. Jacob Shafi (Jr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS) led the Bearcats in second place. WU achieved fourth place at the West Regional, with Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley) earning 10th place. Castillo received an individual bid to the NCAA Championships and placed 191st out of 280 runners.

Head Coach Matt McGuirk was chosen Northwest Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year. He also was selected as the West Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

MASON, OHIO -- Willamette University's women's cross country team concluded an outstanding season on Saturday, Nov. 22, achieving a 15th place team finish at the 2014 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, hosted by Wilmington College at the King's Island Golf Center.

Olivia Mancl (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), was the Bearcats' top finisher on the day, placing 48th in the women's 6-kilometer race with a time of 22:42.6. Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Soldotna, AK/Kenai Central HS) finished in 64th with a time of 22:56.8.

Bressler completed the race in 23:29.0 to take 132nd place. Farnan registered a time of 23:36.6 and placed 152nd, while Freeby was timed at 23:42.0 for 169th place.

Willamette's women earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships after winning the 2014 NCAA West Regional. At the regional competition, the Bearcats placed three runners in the top five, as Freeby, Mancl, Ostrander, Farnan and Bressler finished 2-3-5-9-12.

Johns Hopkins University (Md.) won the women's team national championship for the third consecutive year with a score of 87. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology finished second at 112. St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) achieved third place at 138. Washington University (Mo.) finished fourth at 180, while the State University of New York - Geneseo placed fifth with a score of 212.

Amy Regan from the Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) attained the women's individual title with a time of 20:51.9. Regan placed 6th at the 2013 NCAA Championships, before winning by 7.2 seconds this year.

Lucy Cheadle from Washington recorded second place at 20:58.7. Cassandra Vince from Calvin College (Mich.) took third place in 21:30.2. Ruth Steinke of Carleton College (Minn.) finished fourth in 21:37.9, and Emma Shunk of Wheaton College (Ill.) placed fifth at 21:45.3.

In the men's 8-kilometer race, Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) represented Willamette after receiving an individual bid to the NCAA Championships. Castillo, who finished 10th at the West Regional, placed 191st in his NCAA Championships debut, completing the course in 25:50.9.

North Central College (Ill.) won its second men's team title in three years with a score of 130, edging defending national champion St. Olaf College (Minn.), who scored 143. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse took third place at 188, while Washington and Colby College (Maine) finished tied for fourth at 192.

Grant Wintheiser from St. Olaf won the men's individual championship with a time of 23:44.9. Wintheiser finished third at both the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Championships. This year, he won by 6.4 seconds, with Colin Cotton from Williams College (Mass.) taking second place in 23:51.3.

Josh Thorson from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire placed third at 23:57.1, and Spencer Wenck from MIT was fourth at 23:58.6. Ian Lamere of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville was fifth at 24:01.1.

The NCAA Championships ended an outstanding season for the Willamette cross country program.

In addition to the women's team's success at the West Regional competition, the Bearcats swept both the men's and women's Northwest Conference team championships for the second year in a row. It was the Willamette men's 22nd overall team championship and their 11th since 2001. The Bearcat women's title was their 10th since 2000.

Head coach Matt McGuirk was chosen NWC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, NWC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year, and West Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

It was McGuirk's 10th NWC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year award, fifth NWC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year award, and fifth West Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year award.

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's cross country team, along with men's runner Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley), will compete at the 2014 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22 in Mason, Ohio. The races will be held at The Golf Center at King's Island.

Action will begin with the men's 8-kilometer race at 11 a.m. EST/8 a.m. PST. The women's 6-kilometer race is set to start at 12 p.m. EST/9 a.m. PST.

Willamette's women received an automatic team bid to the NCAA Championships by winning the West Region title at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore., on Saturday, Nov. 15. The Bearcats achieved a team score of 16 with a 1-2-3-4-6 finish. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), which took second place with a score of 54, also received an automatic team berth into the championship race.

Castillo was one of seven runners from the West Region and 56 runners nationwide who received individual at-large bids to the NCAA Championships. Castillo placed 10th at the West Region meet. The top seven runners from each region who teams did not qualify for the championships recieved individual at-large bids.

With a team entry, Willamette has brought eight runners to Ohio. Seven of the runners will compete in Saturday's championship race.

Willamette took 12th place in the women's team standings at the 2013 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships last fall. Freeby finished in eighth place to earn All-America honors. Ostrander placed 41st and Mancl was 80th. A total of 280 runners participated in the race, with the top 35 receiving All-America recognition.

Six of last year's top 10 finishers in the women's race are back to battle for the individual title this season. Chelsea Johnson, who won the 2013 championship, completed her eligibility at College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) and won't be able to defend her title.

Top returning runners from last season are Noelle Olson from St. Olaf College (Minn.), who took second, Hannah Oneda from Johns Hopkins University (Md.), who was fourth, Lucy Cheadle from Washington University (Mo.), who placed fifth, Amy Regan from Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.), who took sixth, Freeby, who was eighth, and Catherine Young from University of Chicago, who was ninth.

Johns Hopkins, ranked #1 in the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Poll, has two runners back from the top 15 a year ago. In addition to Oneda, the Blue Jays also return Frances Loeb, who placed 15th in 2013.

Other top five teams in the rankings are Massachusetts Institute of Technology at #2, St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) at #3, plus SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) at #4 and Middlebury College (Vt.) tied at #4. Willamette enters the championships ranked #9 in the nation.

Castillo has earned All-West Region honors each of the past two seasons. He will be competing at the NCAA Championships for the first time.

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University Head Coach Matt McGuirk has been named NCAA Division III West Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). It is the fifth time McGuirk has been selected for the award, after previously being honored in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

McGuirk led the Bearcats women's cross country team to the Northwest Conference title and the West Region championship. The Bearcats won the NWC championship with a near-perfect score of 16 after placing 1-2-3-4-6. At the West Regional, Willamette took first place with a score of 31 with 2-3-5-9-12 finish. WU also won the NWC men's team title.

Willamette hosted the NWC Championships and the West Region Championships at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore. Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) won the NWC women's individual championship in addition to helping the Bearcats earn the team title.

By winning the West Region title, the Willamette women's team achieved a berth into the 2014 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, set for Saturday, Nov. 22 in Mason, Ohio. The championships, which will be hosted by Wilmington College (Ohio), are set for The Golf Center at King's Island.

Also competing for the WU women's team at the regional were Alyssa Reese (Fr., Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) and Hannah Swanson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS).

Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) placed 10th in the men's race at the West Regional. He received an individual at-large bid to compete at the NCAA Championships.

McGuirk has received many coach of the year awards with the Willamette cross country teams. In addition to his five West Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year awards, he has been named West Region Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year four times (2001, 2003, 2005, 2010).

He has been chosen NWC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year five times (2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014). He has been selected NWC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year nine times (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014).

]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2014 17:00:00 -0800http://willamette.edu/caaf00129e6864934982c20fb4d16ef0Willamette Women's Cross Country team Enters Championships Ranked #9http://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2014/11/19_CC_National_Rankings.phpBearcats will Run for National Title on Saturday, Nov. 22 in Mason, Ohio

SALEM, ORE. -- As the Bearcats prepare for the NCAA Championships this weekend, the Willamette University women's cross country team is ranked #9 in the NCAA Division III Poll released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Bearcat women won the West Region title at Bush's Pasture Park on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Johns Hopkins University (Md.) remained #1 in the women's National Poll with all eight first place votes and 256 points. Massachusetts Institute of Technology moved up two spots into the #2 position with 245 points. St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) fell one spot to #3 with 241 points.

SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) and Middlebury College (Vt.) shared the #4 ranking, as each received 227 points. Washington University (Mo.) jumped from #7 up to #6 and received 214 points in the poll. Williams College (Mass.) slipped one position to #7 with 205 points.

Calvin College (Mich.) stayed at #8 with 200 points and Willamette held at #9 with 196 points. Oberlin College (Ohio) advanced from #11 into the #10 spot with 175 points. The rankings included only the 32 teams that qualified for the NCAA Championships.

In addition to Willamette, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps represented the West Region with the #18 ranking in the women's National Poll. CMS fell two spots from the previous poll.

North Central College (Ill.) kept the #1 ranking in the men's National Poll with all eight first place votes and 256 points. St. Olaf College (Minn.) advanced from #3 into the #2 position with 246 points. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire fell a spot to #3 with 240 points, while University of Wisconsin-La Crosse moved up one spot to #4 with 231 points.

Likewise, Colby College (Maine) jumped form #6 to #5 and received 221 points. St. Lawrence improved by one position to #6 with 213 points, and Amherst College (Mass.) made a large jump from #16 up to #7 with 200 points.

Holding the #8 spot was Massachusetts Institute of Technology with 191. Loras College (Iowa) and Williams were tied for #9 with 177 points.

In the final West Region Rankings released on Nov. 4, Willamette's women were ranked #1. The Willamette men's team was ranked #2.

The Bearcat women's team received an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships, set for Saturday, Nov. 22 in Mason, Ohio. Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley) earned an individual at-large berth to compete in the men's race. The event will be held at The Golf Center at King's Island and will be hosted by Wilmington College (Ohio).

At the West Regional, Willamette placed five runners in the top 12 of the women's competition. Michael Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) placed second and Olivia Mancl (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) was third in the 6-kilometer race. Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) took fifth place.

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University runner Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley) has officially received an individual at-large berth into the men's race at the 2014 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, set for Saturday, Nov. 22 in Mason, Ohio. Castillo was one of seven individuals who earned at-large berths from the West Region.

The selection of Castillo was expected after he placed 10th in the West Regional, hosted by the Bearcats at Bush's Pasture Park on Saturday, Nov. 15. The top seven runners from each region whose teams did not qualify for the championships received individual at-large bids.

Three of the runners in front of Castillo on Saturday were from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), which won the West Regional team title, and three were from Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.), which placed second. CMS and Pomona-Pitzer each earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.

The Willamette women's team, which won the West Regional championship for the Bearcats, received an automatic bid to compete at the NCAA Championships. Also earning an automatic team bid from the women's competition was Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Wilmington College (Ohio) is hosting the NCAA Championships. The races will be held at The Golf Center at King's Island.

A total of 16 women's team and 16 men's teams received automatic bids to the championships. An additional 16 women's teams and 16 men's teams received at-large bids. Last year, the Willamette women placed 12th overall, while Michaela Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) earned All-America honors by placing eighth in the championship race.

Freeby's time was 22:16.6 over the 6-kilometer course. Mancl was timed at 22.20.0 and Ostrander achieved a time of 22:28.5. Castillo completed the men's 8-kilometer course in 25:52.0.

The West Region did not receive any at-large team bids to the championships. Individual at-large bids for the men's championship race went to Castillo, John Guzman Agular and Colin Smith from from Occidental College (Calif.), David Santillan from University of Puget Sound, Aditya Bhagavathi of Caltech, Ruben Solorza of Whittier College and Bryan Hayes from University of La Verne (Calif.)

Individual at-large bids from the West Region for the women's championship wee Maya Weigel of Pomona-Pitzer, Della Lyle and Lauren Roberts from University of Redlands, Julissa Tobias of Whittier, Katie Alioto from University of California-Santa Cruz, Andrea Ramirez from La Verne and Rebecca Lavietes from Colorado College.

Guzman Aguilar won the West Region men's championship on Saturday with a time of 25:16.0. Weigel achieved the West Region women's title in 22:11.1.

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's cross country team ran away from the competition at the NCAA Division III West Regional on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Bush's Pasture Park, capturing the West Region championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA championships.

It is the sixth West Regional women's title for the Bearcats, and their first since winning five championships in a row from 2003 through 2007.

Willamette finished with a team score of 31, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps registered a team score of 54. Whitworth University took a distant third place with a score of 147. Fourth place in the women's team standings went to Colorado College at 168. The University of California Santa Cruz was fifth with a score of 172.

Maya Weigel of Pomona-Pitzer won the women's title with a time of 22:11.1 over the 6-kilometer course. Freeby placed second in 22:16.6, while Mancl was third at 22:20.0.

Della Lyle of the University of Redlands crossed the finish line in fourth place at 22:21.7. Ostrander was fifth with a time of 22:28.5 and Bryn McKillop from CMS was sixth in 22:36.0.

CMS's Sara Mostatabi was seventh at 22:38.8 and Julissa Tobias of Whittier was eighth at 22:40.6. Rounding out the top 10 were Farnan of Willamette in ninth with a time of 22:42.2 and Caroline Willian from the CMS in tenth after finishing in 22:47.5.

In the men's race, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the team title with a score of 46. Pomona-Pitzer placed second with a team score of 52 and Occidental College was third at 97. Willamette, the highest placed Northwest Conference school, took fourth at 156 and Whittier College followed in fifth at 166.

WU men's runner Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) was the highest finishing Bearcat. He took 10th place in the men's race with a time of 25:52.0 and should receive an individual berth.

John Guzman of Occidental took first place in the 8-kilometer race for the second year in a row. He completed the course in 25:16.0. Zorg Loustalet from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps finished second with a time of 25:21.1. John Fowler of Pomona-Pitzer was third at 25:30.4.

Benjamin Girodias of Pomona-Pitzer achieved fourth place as he reached the finish line in 25:38.7. Colin Smith from Occidental took fifth place at 25:44.0, while Corey Purcella from Pomona-Pitzer was sixth at 25:48.0. Alex Lombardo and Alex Mauro, both of CMS followed in seventh (25:49.9) and eighth (25:50.2), respectively.

David Santillan of the University of Puget Sound placed ninth in 25:50.7, while Willamette's Castillo was 10th overall.

The top 35 individual finishers in each race earned All-West Region honors. In the women's race, all seven runners from Willamette and CMS were named All-West Region. Joining Freeby, Mancl, Ostrander, Farnan and Bressler on the All-Region team were Alyssa Reese (Fr., Louisville, CO/Monarch HS), who placed 24th, and Hannah Swanson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), who finished 34th.

In the men's race, All-West Region accolades went to seven runners for CMS, six runners from Pomona-Pitzer, four runners from Occidental and three from Willamette. In addition to Castillo, Patrick Loftus (Fr., Healdsburg, CA/Sonoma Academy) in 30th place, and Jacob Shafi (Jr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS) in 32nd, garnered All-Region recognition.

The top two teams in each race earned automatic berths into the NCAA Division III Championships next Saturday, Nov. 22, in Mason, Ohio. The Willamette and CMS women, along with the CMS and Pomona-Pitzer men, have secured their trips to Ohio. Teams placing third, fourth and fifth are eligible for at-large berths, which will be awarded by the NCAA on Sunday, Nov. 17.

A total of 16 automatic berths and 16 at-large bids will fill the field of team entries for each race at the NCAA Championships. In addition, the top seven runners in each regional whose teams have not received automatic or at-large bids will qualify as individuals, making Castillo likely to represent Willamette as an individual in the men's race.

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University cross country teams are among the top contenders at the NCAA Division III West Region Cross Country Championships, which the Bearcats will host at Bush's Pasture Park on Saturday, Nov. 15. The men's 8-kilometer race will begin at 10 a.m. (PST), with the women's 6-kilometer race slated for 11 a.m.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) is the defending West Region champion in women's cross country. The defending West Region champion in men's cross country is Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.). Willamette was second a year ago in the women's standings and took third place in the men's standings.

The top two teams in each race will earn automatic bids to the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on Nov. 22. Additional teams may be chosen for at-large bids on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Also qualifying for the NCAA Championships will be the top seven individuals in each race from teams that are not selected. Wilmington College (Ohio) will host the championships at The Golf Center at King's Island in Mason, Ohio.

Men’s 8-Kilometer Race

Three of the men's teams are nationally ranked in the most recent NCAA Division III Poll released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is ranked #20, with Willamette at #31 and Pomona-Pitzer at #32.

In addition to their national rankings, CMS is listed at #1 in the West Region rankings, while Willamette is #2 and Pomona-Pitzer is #3.

Last year, those three teams recorded the top spots at the West Region Championships, as Pomona-Pitzer earned first place with a score of 71. CMS was second at 78 and Willamette was third at 109.

This year, they will likely battle again for the two automatic berths into the NCAA Championships. Other top teams in the West Region include University of Puget Sound, ranked #4, and Whitman College, ranked #5.

Nine of the top 10 finishers in last year's West Region competition are back. Guzman Aguilar of Occidental will defend his title, which he won in 24:40.27. CMS returns Zorg Loustalet, who placed third, while Pomona-Pitzer features Benjamin Girodias, who was fourth, and John Fowler, who earned fifth place.

Guzman Aguilar will be joined by Occidental teammate Colin Smith, who finished sixth a year ago. Tyler Shipley of Pacific University is back after taking seventh place in 2013. Also returning from the top 10 are Nick Hall of Colorado College (8th), Scott Oseguera from University of Redlands (9th) and Bryan Hayes from University of Laverne (10th).

In addition to Loustalet, the Stags of CMS return Sam Pitcavage, who took 15th place in 2013. Pomona-Pitzer's roster includes Pryor Stroud, who placed 24th.

Willamette's Parker Bennett was second last year, but graduated this past spring. The top returning competitor for the Bearcats is Jacob Shafi (Jr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS), who finished 19th. Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley) took 23rd last season.

During recent conference championship races, Willamette took first place in the Northwest Conference, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title and Colorado College won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) crown.

Shipley won the NWC individual title, with Shafi in second place and Castillo in third. Colin Domonoske form Whitman took fourth and David Santillan of Puget Sound was fifth.

At the SCIAC Championships, Guzman Aguilar was first, and was followed by Loustalet and Fowler. Girodias placed fourth and James Kinney of Pomona-Pitzer was fifth. Hall won the SCAC individual title, while teammate Ryan Bing was third.

Women’s 6-Kilometer Race

The women's race features three teams that are nationally ranked in the NCAA Division III Poll. Willamette holds the #9 ranking, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is #16 and Whitworth University is #32.

Willamette is ranked #1 in the West Region. CMS is listed at #2 and Whitworth is ranked #3. Puget Sound is #4 in the West Region and Whitman is #5.

At last year's West Region Championships, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps claimed first place with a score of 62. Willamette achieved second place at 81 and Whitworth took third at 112.

Half of the top 10 runners from last season's race graduated, but the other five runners have returned. Freeby of Willamette will defend her individual championship, which she won in 21:37.66. Sarah Mostatabi from CMS finished third a year ago, while Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) of Willamette was fourth.

Other athletes who returned after earning a top 10 result are Evie Borchard from the University of California-Santa Cruz, who was eighth in 2013, and Olivia Mancl (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) from Willamette, who placed ninth.

Freeby, Ostrander and Mancl will lead Willamette's efforts, as the Bearcats seek their first West Region title since 2007. CMS will rely on Mostatabi and several young runners to remain among the contenders.

Top runners for Whitworth include Amanda Blankenship, who was 14th at last year's West Regional, and Kellyn Roiko, who took 15th. Christina Williams also returns for the Pirates after placing 21st in 2013.

Willamette recently won the Northwest Conference team title with a near-perfect score of 16. Whitworth finished second in the NWC with a score of 59.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps placed first at the SCIAC Championships, while Pomona-Pitzer was second. Colorado College earned first place at the SCAC Championships.

Ostrander won the women's individual championship in the NWC, finishing with the same time as Mancl, who placed second. Freeby was third and Juliet Farnan (Jr., Lafayette, CA/Campolindo HS) was fourth. Roiko from Whitworth achieved fifth place.

Della Lyle from Redlands claimed the SCIAC individual title. She was followed by Maya Weigel of Pomona-Pitzer in second and Andrea Ramirez from La Verne in third. Mostatabi of CMS placed fourth and Carmen Mejia of CMS was fifth. Rebecca Lavietes from Colorado College attained second place at the SCAC championships.

]]>Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:00:00 -0800http://willamette.edu/ac3f71419e6864934982c20f068b7006Women's Cross Country is #9, Men's Team is #31, in NCAA Division III Pollshttp://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2014/11/05_CC_National_Rankings.phpBearcats will Host West Regional at Bush's Pasture Park on Nov. 15

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's cross country team remained in the #9 ranking, and the Bearcat men's cross country team claimed the #31 ranking, in the NCAA Division III Polls released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

In addition, the Bearcat women's team is ranked #1 in the West Region and the Willamette men's team is ranked #2 in the West Region.

Willamette won the NWC men's and women's team championships this past Saturday (Nov. 1) at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore. The titles were Willamette's 10th overall in women's cross country and the 22nd overall in men's cross country. Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) was the individual champion in the women's 6-kilometer race.

Johns Hopkins University (Md.) kept the #1 ranking in the women's National Poll with all eight first place votes and 280 points. St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) held the #2 spot with 272 points. Middlebury College (Vt.) was #3 with 264 points.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology continued at #4 with 255 points, while SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) stayed at #5 with 245 points. Williams College (Mass.) moved up one position to #6 and received 236 points. Washington University (Mo.) also advanced one spot into the #7 ranking with 235 points.

Calvin College (Mich) dropped two spots into the #8 ranking with 229 points. Willamette was #9 and received 214 points. SUNY Oneonta (N.Y.) rounded out the Top 10 with 199 points.

Overall, three West Region had three teams in the women's National Poll. In addition to the Bearcats, other West Region teams were Claremont-Mudd Scripps at #16 and Whitworth University at #32.

North Central College maintained the #1 spot in the men's National Poll with all eight first place votes and 280 points. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire stayed at #2 with 271 points. St. Olaf College (Minn.) moved up one position into the #3 ranking with 262 ponts. Williams followed closely at #4 with 259 points.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse kept its spot at #5 in the poll with 248 points. Colby College (Maine) advanced one spot to #6 with 239 points, while St. Lawrence moved up three positions to #7 with 224 points.

MIT also jumped three spots to become the #8 team with 223 points, just one point behind St. Lawrence. SUNY Geneseo fell from #8 a week ago to #9 this week with 207 points. Washington (Mo.) made a leap of three positions to #10 and received 202 points.

Clarmeont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) was the top West Region team in the men's National Poll. Willamette represented the West Region at #31.

In the women's West Region Rankings, Willamette continued to hold the #1 spot. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was still #2 and Whitworth remained at #3. University of Puget Sound advanced on position to #4, while Whitman College fell one spot to #5. Also ranked from the Northwest Conference was Lewis & Clark College at #10.

CMS and Willamette each moved up one position from a week ago in the men's West Region Rankings. The Stags took over the #1 ranking, while the Bearcats claimed the #2 ranking. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) dropped from the #1 ranking down to #3, after placing behind CMS in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meet.

Puget Sound retained the #4 ranking and Whitman remained at #5. Whitworth from the NWC was listed at #6.

Willamette will return to Bush's Pasture Park on Saturday, Nov. 15 to host the NCAA Division III Northwest Regional. Action is set to begin with the men's 8-kilometer race at 10 a.m. (PST), followed by the women's 6-kilometer race at 11 a.m. The top two teams in each race will receive automatic berths into the NCAA Division III Championships.

]]>Wed, 05 Nov 2014 11:00:00 -0800http://willamette.edu/815ee7839e6864934982c20f880ed561Bearcats Sweep NWC Team Championships for Second Year in a Rowhttp://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2014/11/01_CC_NWC_Championships.phpOstrander, Mancl, Freeby, Farnan, and Bressler Finish 1-2-3-4-6 in Women's 6k

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University claimed both team titles for the second year in a row, while achieving a 1-2-3-4-6 finish in the women's 6-kilometer race, as the 2014 Northwest Conference Cross Country Championships were held on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Bush's Pasture Park.

Willamette Head Coach Matt McGuirk was named both NWC Women's Coach of the Year and NWC Men's Coach of the Year.

Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Soldotna, AK/Kenai Central HS) claimed the women's title in the 6-kilometer race with a time of 22:25.2, as she just edged out WU teammate Olivia Mancl (So., Seattle, WA/Roosefelt HS) who finished with an identical time of 22:25.2. Defending champion Michaela Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) finished third at 22:25.3, just 0.1 seconds behind Ostrander and Mancl.

Juliet Farnan (Jr., Lafayette, CA/Campolindo HS) placed fourth with a time of 22:32.8, while Kellyn Roiko of Whitworth University became the first non-Bearcat to cross the finish line in fifth place at 22:38.0. Hannah Bressler (Jr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS) rounded out Willamette's scorers, taking sixth at 22:41.3, while Julia Wood from Whitman College was seventh, finishing in 22:42.4.

Ostrander earned her second top-two finish in a row, after placing second at the 2013 NWC Championships. Freeby finished in the top three for the third consecutive year.

Jacob Shafi (Jr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS) finished second in the men's 8-kilometer race after completing the course in 25:48.7.

Tyler Shipley from Pacific University, who took second place, at the 2013 NWC Championships, finished in first place at 25:44.8. He was the first Pacific athlete to win the NWC men's cross country championship in 38 years. Willamette's Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) finished third at 25:51.1

Fourth place was attained by Colin Domonoske of Whitman in 25:56.8. David Santillan from the University of Puget Sound followed in fifth place at 26:04.3. Taylor Steele of Whitworth was sixth with a time of 26:10.7, and Joshua Seekatz of Puget Sound was seventh at 26:11.7.

First Team All-Northwest Conference honors went to the top seven runners in each race. Athletes finishing eighth through 14th received Second Team All-NWC recognition. Willamette's First Team selections were Ostrander, Mancl, Freeby, Farnan, and Bressler from the women's team, along with Shafi and Castillo from the men's team.

For the Bearcat men, Second Team All-NWC honors went to Daniel Swanson (Sr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) in 9th at 26:20.6 and Patrick Loftus (Fr., Healdsburg, CA/Sonoma Academy) in 12th at 26:24.3.

All seven Willamette runners placed in the top 20 in the women's race, including Alyssa Reese (Fr., Louisville, CO, Monarch HS), who finished 17th at 23:07.9, and Hannah Swanson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), who finished 18th at 23:08.8.

The Bearcats earned the women's team title with a score of 16, the lowest NWC Championships score since 1987. Whitworth was second at 59 points and Puget Sound placed third at 79. Whitman was fourth at 86, with Lewis & Clark College in fifth at 145. Linfield College held sixth place at 153, while Pacific Lutheran University was seventh at 229, Pacific was eighth at 231 and George Fox University was ninth at 237.

It was the 10th NWC title for the Willamette women's cross country program.

In the battle for the men's team title, Willamette took first place with a score of 41. Puget Sound finished second with 69 points, Whitman was third at 80, Whitworth placed fourth at 86 and Lewis & Clark was fifth at 120. Linfield followed in sixth place at 161, with George Fox in seventh at 164, Pacific in eighth at 206 and Pacific Lutheran in ninth at 254.

It was the 22nd NWC title for the Bearcat men's cross country team. The Bearcats have won 11 conference titles since 2001.

Willamette will next compete at the NCAA Division III West Regional on Saturday, Nov. 15. Like the NWC Championships, the race will be held at Willamette's home course of Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore. The first race is set to begin at 10 a.m. (PST).

SALEM, ORE. -- The 2014 Northwest Conference Cross Country Championships are set for Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, Ore., on Saturday, Nov. 1. The men’s race will be held at 10 a.m., with the women’s race to follow at 11 a.m.

Willamette is the defending NWC champion in both men’s cross country and women’s cross country. The Bearcat men’s team won the 2013 title with a score of 49. The Willamette women’s team won its championship with a score of 37.

The Willamette men won for the second year in a row and for the third time in six years. The Bearcats won the women’s team title for the first time since 2008.

Parker Bennett of Willamette won his second consecutive NWC individual men’s title with an 8-kilometer time of 24:30.62. Michaela Freeby from Willamette won the NWC women’s individual title over the 6-kilometer course in 21:42.19.

Men’s 8-Kilometer Race

The men’s race will feature five of the top seven runners in last year’s NWC Championship race, as well as 11 of the top 14.

Willamette will go for its third consecutive NWC men’s championship. The Bearcats have won 10 championships since 2001. Parker Bennett, who won last year’s individual title, has graduated, but the Bearcats still feature several outstanding runners, including three who earned All-NWC honors last fall.

Jacob Shafi (Jr.) placed fifth in the NWC last season for First Team All-NWC honors. Yonny Castillo (Jr.) and Nathan Conrad (Jr.) finished 12th and 13th, respectively, and received Second Team All-NWC recognition. Also providing solid running this season is Daniel Swanson (Sr.).

Top returning runners for the University of Puget Sound are David Santillan (Jr.), who placed third a year ago, Justin Bigelow (Jr.), who was eighth, and Joshua Seekatz (Sr.), who took 17th. Santillan was chosen First Team All-NWC and Bigelow was named Second Team All-NWC. Sam Carilli (Jr.) also returns for the Loggers. Puget Sound placed second in the team standings in 2013 and remains a strong contender this year.

Last year’s third place team, Whitman College, also returns key runners from a year ago. Earning First Team All-NWC honors in 2013 were T.C. Haydon (Jr.) in sixth place and Matt Wotipka (So.) in seventh place. Second Team All-NWC accolades went to Colin Domonoske (Sr.), who finished 10th.

Lewis & Clark College placed fourth as a team last year, led by Jarrod Nixon in fourth place. Nixon was in his final season. As a result, the Pioneers have no returning All-Conference runners, but will be led by Brendy Hale (Sr.), who took 21st last season. Nicholas Ellis (Jr.) also is back for L&C.

In fifth place last season was Linfield College. The Wildcats have two returning Second Team All-NWC athletes. They are Michael O’Neil (So.), who took 11th place as a freshman last year, and Alex Mangan (Jr.), who placed 14th.

Whitworth University, the 2010 and 2011 NWC champion, has a solid team this fall. Taylor Steele (Sr.) just missed All-NWC honors by placing 15th last year. He will be joined by Trent Dudley (Sr.) and Colton Berry (So.). The Pirates placed sixth in 2013 and will be looking to move up in 2014.

George Fox University was seventh a year ago. Runners for the Bruins include Kody Tarbell (Sr.), the 19th men’s finisher in 2013. After losing a couple of seniors, GFU will look to Cody Thompson (So.) to provide depth on the roster.

The Pacific University men’s team will be led by Tyler Shipley (Jr.). Last season, Shipley took second place and received First Team All-NWC recognition. He is the top returning runner in this year’s field. Gary Fanelli (So.) earned experience in 2013 and will work to strengthen the Boxers’ lineup this year. Pacific placed eighth a year ago.

Pacific Lutheran University was ninth in 2013. Top returning runners for the Lutes are two sophomores who competed in the NWC meet as freshmen. They are Charles Mogen and Matthew MacFarlane.

Five NWC men’s teams were included in the latest West Region rankings for NCAA Division III released on Oct. 21. Willamette was listed third, with Puget Sound following in fourth and Whitman in fifth. Whitworth was ranked ninth and Lewis & Clark was 10th.

2013 NWC Men’s Championship

Women’s 6-Kilometer Race

It should be an exciting women’s championship race this season with six of last year’s top seven finishers -- and nine of the top 10 -- back to run for the NWC title. Ten of the 14 All-Conference selections from a year ago have returned.

Willamette is the favorite to win its second consecutive NWC team championship. The Bearcats have won nine titles since 2000. This year’s Willamette squad is ranked ninth in NCAA Division III.

The 2013 individual champion, Michaela Freeby (Sr.) returns for the Bearcats. Other returning First Team All-NWC selections for Willamette are Taylor Ostrander (Jr.), who placed second last year, and Olivia Mancl (So.), who took seventh place.

The Bearcats also return a Second Team All-NWC athlete in Juliet Farnan (Jr.). Farnan was ninth at last year’s meet. Additional depth will be supplied by Annette Marinello (Sr.) and Hannah Bressler (Jr.).

Whitworth also is nationally ranked. The Pirates enter the NWC Championships ranked 31st in NCAA Division III. Amanda Blankenship (Jr.) and Christina Williams (Sr.) are returning First Team All-NWC runners. Blankenship placed fourth and Williams was fifth a year ago.

Whitman placed third a year ago, holding off three teams by 12 points or less. Skye Pauly, a First Team All-NWC honoree in sixth place in 2013, leads the Missionaries. Julia Hart (So.), who placed 19th at last season’s meet, also returns, along with Ziggy Lanman (Jr.).

Last year’s fourth place team, Linfield, graduated its top three finishers. This year’s Wildcats are paced by returning runner Calli Dowdy (Sr.). Also providing quality running for Linfield are freshmen Kaelia Neal and Jaime Rodden.

Puget Sound was fifth in the NWC last season. The top returning runner for the Loggers is Sierra Grunwald (Sr.), who registered Second Team All-NWC honors in 2013 by placing 12th. Molly Bradbury (Sr.) also is back for Puget Sound.

Sixth place at last year’s meet was achieved by Lewis & Clark, when the Pioneers finished nine points out of fourth. Second Team All-NWC selection Katie Keith will lead the way this year, after placing 10th last season. Ali Brauer (Sr.) returns with Keith as a top runner for L&C.

Pacific Lutheran does not have any returning All-Conference runners, but Genevieve Brandt (So.) is back after placing 22nd as a freshman a year ago. Amie Wilson (So.) also returns for the Lutes.

A year ago, George Fox placed eighth in the NWC. The top finisher for GFU was a freshman, Erin Sanders, who returns for her sophomore year. Also returning is Sarah Mackenzie (Sr.).

Pacific was ninth at the NWC Championships in 2013. The Boxers’ top returning runners are Michelle Kester (Jr.) and Elaina Gillespie (So.). Stephanie Spencer (Fr.) has performed well for Pacific this season.

Four of the top five teams in the West Region women’s rankings are from the Northwest Conference. Willamette is ranked first, with Whitworth in third and Whitman in fourth. Puget Sound is ranked fifth.

2013 NWC Women’s Championship

Meet Program

]]>Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:30:00 -0700http://willamette.edu/62ca6e329e6864934982c20fc468b793Women's Cross Country Team Holds at #9 in NCAA Division III Pollhttp://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2014/10/22_CC_National_Rankings.phpBearcat Men Advance to #3 in West Region Rankings

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's cross country team maintained its hold on the #9 ranking in the NCAA Division III Poll released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Willamette moved up to the #9 ranking last week following one week at #10.

In addition to its national ranking, the Bearcat women's team is ranked #1 in the West Region. The Willamette men's cross country team advanced one spot to #3 in the West Region.

Johns Hopkins University (Md.) continued to own the #1 ranking in the women's National Poll with all eight first place votes and 280 points. St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) stayed at #2 with 270 points. Middlebury College (Vt.) also kept its position and remained at #3 with 265 points.

Calvin College (Mich.) took an eight-position leap from #14 a week ago to #6 this week with 231 points. Williams College (Mass.) advanced one position to claim the #7 ranking, just one point behind Calvin with a total of 230 points.

Washington University (Mo.) slipped two spots to #8 and received 228 points. Willamette stayed at #9 with 220 points. SUNY Oneonta (N.Y.) jumped to places in the #10 ranking with 206 points.

West Region teams joining Willamette in the women's National Poll were Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) tied for #14 and Whitworth University at #31.

The men's National Poll was topped by North Central College (Ill.) for the fifth consecutive week. North Central received all eight first place votes and 280 points. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire stepped up one spot into the #2 ranking with 272 points, while Williams also advanced one spot to take over the #3 ranking with 260 points.

St. Olaf College (Minn.) fell two positions to #4 with 259 points and trailed Williams by just a single point. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse moved up five positions and claimed the #5 ranking with 248 points.

Central College (Iowa) was #6 at 232 points, with Colby College (Maine) close behind at #7 with 231 points. SUNY Geneseo was listed at #8 with 227 points after falling seven spots in the poll. Middlebury jumped three positions and was #9 with 212 points. St. Lawrence held the #10 ranking with 209 points.

Willamette retained the #1 women's ranking in the West Region. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps continued at #2 and Whitworth stayed at #3. Whitman College moved from #5 up to #4, switching places with University of Puget Sound, which fell one spot to #5.

Pomona-Pitzer advanced into the #1 position in the men's West Region Rankings, up one spot from last week. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps slipped one spot into the #2 ranking. Willamette jumped one spot to #3 and Puget Sound move up one spot to #4.

Whitman also gained one place in the men's ranking up to #5, while Occidental College (Calif.) dropped three spots to #6. In addition to Wilalmette, Puget Sound and Whitman, other NWC teams in the Top 10 were Whitworth at #9 and Lewis & Clark College at #10.

SALEM, ORE. -- Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) from Willamette University has been named Northwest Conference Men's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week for his efforts at the AAE Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Winneconne, Wis. He placed 56th overall out of 664 runners in the men's competition.

Castillo was 44th among scorers at the meet, as he helped Willamette place 20th out of 45 teams. His time was 25:29.3 over the 8-kilometer course. When the meet was scored for NCAA Division III teams only, Castillo placed 27th and the Bearcats were 15th in the team standings.

Earlier this month, Castillo was chosen NWC Men's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week after leading Willamette to a third place team finish at the 40th Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Oct. 4. Castillo placed 19th in the Men's Cardinal 8K race in a personal record time of 25:05.0, as he took 40 seconds of his previous best time.

The next competition for the Bearcats will be the 2014 Northwest Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1. The Bearcats will host the meet at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore. Action starts at 10 a.m. (PDT) with the men's 8-kilometer race. The women's 6-kilometer race is slated to begin at 11 a.m.

]]>Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:30:00 -0700http://willamette.edu/33c7a8a69e6864934982c20f8b9832d2Ostrander Named NWC Women's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Weekhttp://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2014/10/21_WCC_Ostrander_Athlete_of_Week.phpPlaces 17th out of 559 Runners at AAE Invitational

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University runner Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) has been named Northwest Conference Women's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week for the her successful competition at the AAE Invitational in Winneconne, Wis., on Saturday, Oct. 18. She placed 17th out of 559 runners and led Willamette to eighth place in the team standings.

Ostrander placed seventh among NCAA Division III runners in the women's 6-kilometer race. She completed the course in 21:42.64. A total of 42 teams participated in the race. Willamette was fourth when the meet was scored for NCAAA Division III teams only.

It was the second time this season that Ostrander has been chosen NWC Women's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week. She also received the award after taking first place in Willamette's dual meet against the University of Alaska-Anchorage on Sept. 11 in Chugiak, Alaska. The WU women's team achieved a score of 25 to defeat the Seawolves.

The Bearcats will host the 2014 Northwest Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore. The action is set to get underway with the men's 8-kilometer race at 10 a.m. (PDT). The women's 6-kilometer race will begin at 11 a.m.

ESTACADA, ORE. -- A group of Willamette University cross country runners competed at the Lewis & Clark Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 18 at McIver Park. With Willamette also running at the AAE Invitational in Wisconsin, the Bearcats were represented at the L&C Invitational by four runners from the men's team and three runners from the women's team. WU did not earn team scores.

The top finisher for the Bearcats in the women's 6-kilometer race was Heather Pearson (Fr., Mukiteo, WA/Kamiak HS). She achieved a time of 24:19.90 and placed 30th out of 138 runners.

Georgia Glovatsky from Mount Hood Community College won the women's race in 22:20.70. She was followed by Julia Wood from Whitman College, who placed second in 22:39.50. Third place went to Kellyn Roiko from Whitworth University with a time of 22:47.60.

Whitworth won the women's team title with a score of 48. Whitman placed second at 54 points, while University of Puget Sound took third at 84.

The men's individual title was earned by Matthew Clowes from Concordia University (Ore.) in 24:50.20. Paul Adams from Oregon Institute of Technology was second at 25:21.60, and Isaac Mitchell of Northwest Nazarene University placed third at 25:28.10.

Northwest Christian University won the men's team championship with a score of 82. Oregon Tech was second at 113 and Concordia was third at 115.

Willamette's next competition will be the Northwest Conference Championships, which the Bearcats will host at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore., on Saturday, Nov. 1. The first race is schedule to begin at 10 a.m. (PDT).

WINNECONNE, WIS. -- The Willamette University women's cross country team took eighth place out of 42 teams and the Bearcat men's team placed 20th out of 45 teams at the AAE Invitational at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne, Wis., on Saturday, Oct. 18. A total of 559 runners competed in the women's race, with 664 runners participating in the men's race.

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh hosted the meet, which is one of the largest collegiate cross country events in the nation this season. It also served as a key tune-up for NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III runners prior to conference, regional and national competition.

Ostrander recorded a time of 21:42.64. Mancl was timed at 21:48.05 and Freeby completed the course in 22:23.24. Also contributing to WU's team score were Juliet Farnan (Jr., Lafayette, CA/Campolindo HS), who placed 54th overall in 22:27.13, and Alyssa Reese (Fr., Louisville, CO/Monarch HS), who took 83rd in 22:46.10.

The individual champion in the women's race was Lucy Cheadle from Washington University (Mo.) with a time of 20:44.01. Cheadle, a senior, placed fifth at last year's NCAA Division III Championships. Sophia Meehan from Johns Hopkins University (Md.) placed second on Saturday, finishing 12.46 seconds behind Cheadle at 20:56.47.

Samantha Rivard from University of Minnesota-Duluth was third in 20:58.54, and Allyson Winchester of Grand Valley State University (Mich.) was fourth at 21:02.73. Kendra Foley, another runner from GVSU, was fifth in 21:06.70.

Grand Valley State won the women's team title with a score of 30. The Lakers, who compete in NCAA Division II, placed four runner in the top 10 on their way to a 4-5-8-9-14 finish.

Minnesota-Duluth, also from Division II, placed second and earned a score of 98. Johns Hopkins was third at 106, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology in fourth at 127 and Augustana College (Ill.) in fifth at 135. Calvin College (Mich.) was sixth with a score of 203, while Washington University was seventh at 215 and Willamette was eighth at 220.

Men's 8-Kilometer Race

Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) of Willamette was 56th in the men's race with a time of 25:29.3. He was 44th among scorers. Daniel Swanson (Sr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) placed 136th overall in 26:07.1. Jacob Shafi (Jr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS) was 160th after ending the race in 26:16.0.

Also among Willamette's top five finishers were Patrick Loftus (Fr., Healdsburg, CA/Sonoma Academy) and Nathan Conrad (Jr., Bothell, WA/Bothell HS). Loftus earned a time of 26:30.8. Conrad was timed at 26:40.1.

Winning the men's individual title was Alan Peterson from Grand Valley State in a time of 24:32.9. Troy Kelleher of North Central College (Ill.) was second at 24:35.3.

Evan Lewandowski from University of Wisconsin-Parkside took third place in 24:39.5, while Jordan Carpenter of UW-Oshkosh was fourth in 24:40.2. Josh Thorson of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire placed fifth in 24:43.6.

North Central won the men's team championship by achieving a score of 36. Grand Valley State was second at 69. UW-Eau Claire placed third at 140, with Augustana in fourth at 154 and UW-Parkside in fifth at 181.

NCAA Division III Results

The meet also was scored to show the standings among Division III teams. Willamette's women placed fourth in the Division III standings, with Johns Hopkins in first, MIT in second, and Calvin in third. The Bearcat men's team was 15th out of 37 Division III teams.

Individually, Ostrander was seventh, Mancl was 12th and Freeby was 31st in the Division III women's results. Castillo placed 27th in the Division III men's results.

Up Next for the Bearcats

Willamette will be in action again on Saturday, Nov. 1, when the Bearcats will host the Northwest Conference Championships at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore. The first race is slated to get underway at 10 a.m. (PDT).

]]>Sat, 18 Oct 2014 13:00:00 -0700http://willamette.edu/24e61a999e6864934982c20fd0442baaWillamette Cross Country Runners to Compete in Two States on Saturdayhttp://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2014/10/17_CC_AAE_Invite_Lewis_and_Clark_Preview.phpBearcats will Run at Meets Hosted by UW-Oshkosh and Lewis & Clark

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's and women's cross country teams will compete in two states and two time zones on Saturday, Oct. 18 when the Bearcats participate in meets hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Lewis & Clark College.

UW-Oshkosh is hosting the AAE Invitational in Winneconne, Wis., while L&C is hosting the Lewis & Clark Invitational in Estacada, Ore.

The first group of Bearcats will get underway in the AAE Invitational at 10:30 a.m. (CDT)/8:30 a.m. (PDT) at the Lake Breeze Golf Club. The meet, previously known as the Brooks Invitational, will feature approximately 500 runners in each race. Action will start with the men's 8-kilometer race, followed by the women's 6-kilometer race at 11:15 a.m. (CDT).

A total of 47 men's teams and 49 women's teams will run at the AAE event. Twenty-three of the teams are nationally ranked in NCAA Division II or NCAA Division III. The Willamette women's team is ranked #9 in NCAA Division III, while the Bearcat men's team is ranked #4 in the West Region.

The second group of Willamette runners will begin competing at the Lewis & Clark Invitational at 11 a.m. (PDT). Both races during the L&C meet will be held at McIver Park.

Willamette last competed on Oct. 4 at the 40th Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational, held at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore.

Willamette's women placed second in the team standings at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational. The Bearcat men's team achieved a third place finish.

After running on Saturday in Wisconsin and Oregon, the Bearcat runners will not compete until they host the Northwest Conference Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Bush's Pasture Park. The men's 8-kilometer race will start at 10 a.m. (PDT), with the women's 6-kilometer race to follow at 11 a.m.

SALEM, ORE. -- After moving up one spot this week, the Willamette University women's cross country team is now ranked #9 in the NCAA Division III Poll, as released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Oct. 15.

In addition to its national ranking, the WU women's team is ranked #1 in the West Region. The Bearcat men's team is ranked #4 in the West Region. The men received votes in the national poll, but did not move into the Top 35.

Johns Hopkins University (Md.) remained #1 in the women's National Poll with all eight first place votes and 280 points. St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) advanced one position to #2 with 268 points. Middlebury College (Vt.) also moved up one position and is now #3 with 265 points.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology slipped from #2 to #4 with 248 points. SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) stayed at #5 and received 239 points.

Oberlin College (Ohio) was listed at #7 for the second consecutive week with 234 points, while Williams College (Mass.) maintained the #8 ranking with 226 points. Willamette held the #9 spot with 211 points. Tufts University (Mass.) switched places with the Bearcats and dropped to #10 with 206 points.

In the men's National Poll, North Central College (Ill.) continued at #1 after receiving all eight first place votes and 280 points. St. Olaf College (Minn.) retained the #2 position with 272 points, and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire stayed at #3 with 264 points.

The remainder of the Top 10 also remained the same. Williams was #4 with 256 points, University of Wisconson-Platteville owned the #5 ranking with 243 points, and Colby College (Maine) was #6 with 237 points. SUNY Geneseo clung to the #7 spot with 230 points, while Central College (Iowa) was #8 with 229 points.

St. Lawrence was ranked #9 with 212 points. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse was #10 with 210 points.

Willamette kept the #1 women's ranking in the West Region, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) stayed at #2. In fact, the entire Top 10 in the West Region remained unchanged from a week ago. Whitworth University was #3, with University of Puget Sound at #4 and Whitman College at #5.

The leader in the men's West Region Rankings was Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), as the Stags continued to hold the #1 ranking. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) retained the #2 spot and Occidental College (Calif.) maintained the #3 ranking. As with the women's rankings, all of the Top 10 men's teams in the West Region remained the same.

Willamette was ranked #4 and University of Puget Sound was #5. Whitman owned the #6 ranking, while Whitworth was #7. The NWC also was represented by Lewis & Clark College at #10.

This weekend, the Bearcats will run at two cross country meets on Saturday, Oct. 18. One group of Willamette runners will compete at the AAE Invitational in Winneconne, Wis., with the first race starting at 10:30 a.m. (CDT)/8:30 a.m. (PDT). A second group of Bearcats will participate in the Lewis & Clark Invitational in Portland, Ore., starting at 11 a.m. (PDT).

]]>Wed, 15 Oct 2014 14:00:00 -0700http://willamette.edu/158df7bc9e6864932e9765aa85113a6dWillamette Women's Cross Country Team Moves into Top 10 in National Pollhttp://willamette.edu/athletics/news/archive/2014/10/08_CC_National_Rankings.phpMen's Team is Listed at #4 in West Region

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's cross country team moved up two positions this week to grab the #10 ranking in the NCAA Division III Poll released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Oct. 8. The women's team remained #1 in the West Region.

In the men's rankings, the Bearcats advanced one spot to #4 in the West Region. Willamette's men received points in the NCAA Division III Poll, but were not listed in the Top 35.

Johns Hopkins University (Md.) kept the #1 spot in the women's National Poll with all eight first place votes and 280 points. Massachusetts Institute of Technology stayed at #2 with 269 points. St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) held firm at #3 in the poll with 267 points.

Likewise, Middlebury College (Vt.) retained the #4 ranking with 250 points. SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) advanced one position to #5 in the poll and received 247 points. Washington University (Mo.) stayed at #6 with 241 points, while Oberlin College (Ohio) dropped two spots to #7 with 237 points.

Williams College (Mass.) went up from #10 a week ago to #8 this week with 224 points. Tufts University (Mass.) fell one spot to #9 with 207 points. Willamette almost overtook Tufts, but claimed the #10 ranking with 206 points.

The top ranking in the men's National Poll remained with North Central College (Ill.), which received all eight first place votes and 280 points. North Central is in its third week at #1 this season.

St. Olaf College (Minn.) took a small jump from #3 to #2 this week with 272 points in the poll. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire switched places with St. Olaf and fell one spot to #3 with 264 points.

Williams advanced six spots to #4 with 256 points, while University of Wisconson-Platteville moved up two positions to #5 with 238 points. Colby College (Maine) remained #6 and received 236 points. SUNY Geneseo went up two slots to #7 with 231 points, while Central College (Iowa) slipped three positions to follow at #8 with 224 points.

St. Lawrence held the #9 ranking with 211 points after dropping five spots from last week. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse jumped five spots to #10 with 205 points.

Willamette continued at #1 in the women's West Region Rankings and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) remained at #2. The #3 ranking when to Whitworth University, which advanced two positions from a week ago. University of Puget Sound stayed at #4, while Whitman College dropped two spots to #5.

In the men's West Region Rankings, the top three teams remained the same. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was listed at #1, with Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) at #2 and Occidental College (Calif.) at #3. Willamette stepped up one spot to #4 and Puget Sound advanced one position to #5. Whitman, ranked #6 last week, dropped to spots to #6.

Willamette, Puget Sound and Whitman were joined in the men's West Region Rankings by NWC rivals Whitworth and Lewis & Clark College. Whitworth was #7 and L&C was #10.

The Bearcats do not compete this weekend, but will participate in two meets on Saturday, Oct. 18. One group of Willamette runners will run at the Brooks Invitational in Winneconne, Wis., starting at 10:30 a.m. (CDT)/8:30 a.m. (PDT). Another group of runners will compete at the Lewis & Clark Invitational, which begins at 11 a.m. (PDT).